Friday, September 3, 2010

The Joys of Baking Soda

I have recently begun to no-poo. This is a process of washing your hair with a baking soda paste. It works amazingly well for me, my hair is healthier in appearance and although it gets a little greasy between washes I know once the ph balances out that will stop. Plus I'm saving money on shampoo and conditioner (I use an apple cider vinegar and tea tree oil rinse) and I am making less impact on the environment.

At any rate, this got me thinking about what else I can do with the baking soda since it is working so well on my hair. After some research and discussion with others here is what I have been using this inexpensive product for lately:

Cat box deodorizer - just sprinkle it on before I pour in fresh litter

Carpet deodorizer - the last tenants had dogs - pee-eww - mix salt and baking soda, sweep into carpet leave overnight and vacuum up - natural so it won't hurt the cats, the baking soda absorbs any moisture and odor and the salt acts as an abrasive to help lift dirt. Much cheaper than those carpet fresheners you buy and no overly perfumed smell or chemicals.

Tooth paste - mix a small amount of baking soda with a little water and apply to tooth brush - my mouth feels clean, my breath stays fresh and it costs nothing. Finish with a water and hydrogen peroxide rinse and you are set!

The old stand by of course, keeping my refrigerator free from odors and excess moisture - again cheap - Arm and Hammer also makes a little disc filled with baking soda you can attach to the side wall of the refrigerator if your shelves are too full to fit the box or bowl.

Laundry freshener - helps rid clothes of any musty odors without the smell or chemicals in fabric softener or perfumed detergents - great for baby clothes. If you are going to do this and not use fabric softener I recommend adding the baking soda at the start of the cycle with the detergent and then adding some white vinegar to the rinse cycle. I promise to make a later post about my love of white vinegar soon.

Give it a try - spend five dollars to buy a box of baking soda and save money on a wide variety of products! If the money savings isn't enough incentive you will also be creating less waste!